Living In Space Can Cause Skin Issues

If you have a strong desire to live in outer space for an extended period of time, then you need to know what type of impact doing so can have on your body. Living in space is no easy task, especially for an extended period of time. Expedition 46 Commander Scott Kelly did it for literally 340 days, so he knows exactly what impact it can have on your body.

Photo Credit: Bill Ingalls/Rex

Commander Scott Kelly Having Skin Issues

If you’re not familiar with Scott Kelly, he’s an astronaut that literally spent close to a year in orbit. If that doesn’t sound impressive to you then I think you’re crazy because it’s considered to be the longest space mission to do for a US citizen.

According to an article published, Scott Kelly spent close to double the amount of time in space that a typical mission is planned for. The reason he went on this mission was to help gather data and research in preparation for the missions to planet Mars. The missions to Mars will last well over the amount of time he spent in orbit. In fact, those missions will take over two years to complete. Anyway, I’m here to talk about the effects that a mission like this can have on your skin.

According to Scott Kelly, he’s having some serious issues with his skin and it’s possible that it all steps to not having been touched for a long period of time. Scott Kelly stated that “It is almost like a burning feeling wherever I sit or lie or walk.”

Now, I’m not sure how you feel but that sounds absolutely horrible to me. I can’t imagine having a burning sensation all over my body due to lack of contact. I’m curious what type of products he’s using (if any) to try and help adjust to living here on Earth. Scott Kelly is the perfect advocate for good skin care prevention because of all of this. I wonder if there was anything that they could have done to predict or prevent this from happening for him. It must have been an incredible experience that 99.99% of us will never, ever experience.

If you knew that you were going to have to return to Earth having to deal with an incredible burning sensation on your skin and all the other issues and/or complications that go along with going into orbit, would you still do it? I personally would do it. However, I’d do everything in my power to prevent the issue from occurring. Perhaps implementing some sort of routine in space that allows you to De-sensitize your skin would be a good start.

Brandon Sirrico is a well-versed marketing expert with a background in finance. He holds an MBA from Florida International University and an undergrad from Northeastern. A former bodybuilder, he's a dedicated gym rat who provides many updates on health and diet as well as reactions to trending skin care topics.